The NBA: Big Name Trade-ables of 2013

For on that
day, or perhaps a few days prior, players will trade places. Perhaps your
favorite NBAer will be donning a different uni for reasons that seem as baffling
to you as why Nicki Minaj is still on American Idol (yes, I watch – don’t ask).

February 22
IS the NBA Trade Deadline, and which players are on the market for the
Association’s version of bartering (hey, can I swap Greg Oden for like… oh
fine, here have him for free)? Many, but which players have the most market
value?

Let’s look
at some of the most trade-able players in the following order (lowest to
highest PER – Player Efficiency Rating adjusted for Pace taken from ESPN.com as
of January 29, 2013):

Rudy Gay (MEM) – 14.39 PER

Stats:
17.2ppg, 5.9rpg, 2.5apg, 1.4spg

He’ll be
traded because he’s just too expensive. USD 54 million over three years for a
guy who has never been, and might never be, an All-Star? Hmmm… Gay has always
been a dependable scorer and, at times, great rebounder, but he’s like a street
urchin’s version of Kevin Durant. He has yet to make that big leap into
stardom, and he’ll just never make that if he sticks with the Grizz. In any
other team, however, he might (MIGHT) just blossom into a superstar. Right now,
the teams making the most noise to take him are Toronto and Boston.

Rudy Gay is a prime target to be traded before thedeadline in late February.(image by Jesse D. Garrabrant/Getty Images)

Pau Gasol (LAL) – 15.82

Stats:
12.8ppg, 8.2rpg, 3.6apg, 1.4bpg

Despite his
relative lack of playing time this season, Gasol is still regarded, by me at
least, as one of the top five slotmen in the globe (top two if he’s wearing an
España jersey). Like Gay, though, he’s too expensive. USD 38 million over two
years for a guy averaging career-low stats? Yikes. But that’s only because he
shares the Staples interior with, oh, you might have heard of him, Dwight
Howard. Put Gasol almost anywhere else, and he shines like he should. Even if
he is already 32. As recently as three days ago, rumors spread that Gasol and
Gay might actually get involved in a three-team deal.

Josh Smith (ATL) – 17.33 PER

Stats: 16.7ppg,
8.5rpg, 4.0apg, 2.3bpg, 1.3spg

Smith is
being paid USD 13 million this year, and for a guy who should’ve been an
All-Star AT LEAST once already, that price is pretty fair. Whoever gets
J-Smoove will get a hardworking fellow who delivers on both ends of the floor.
They’ll also get a guy who’s one of the more unstable characters in the league.
One big reason ATL wants to ship him out his he becomes a free agent by
season’s end, and the Hawks would rather scrounge for scraps than lose Smith
for nothing. Last I read, the Nuggets have shown some interest.

Tyreke Evans (SAC) – 18.45 PER

Stats: 14.9ppg,
4.8rpg, 3.0apg, 1.2spg

Evans has
never blossomed in to the All-Star he should’ve already been, if his rookie
year is anything to go on. He has underachieved in the past couple of seasons
and it’s one big reason the Kings are, well, the Kings. It’s not that Evans is
an expensive player – USD 5 million for one year – but it’s just that he no
longer fits well into the whole scheme of things in Sactown (soon to be
Coffeetown, Seattle). Several reports in early January expressed the Lakers as possible
takers.

Amar’e Stoudemire (NYK) – 18.81 PER

Stats: 12.1ppg,
4.0rpg

Many people
felt the Knicks would turn their fortunes around after acquiring Amar’e. That
did happen, only Amar’e wasn’t the big reason why NYK’s improvement has been
overwhelming. Think Melo. Think JR Smith. Think Tyson Chandler. Okay, fine, for
a while, we could think of Jeremy Lin, too. But now that the Knicks are back in
the East’s elite cabinet, where will we find Amar’e and his humongous USD 41
million for 2 years contract?!?! I smell another Eddie Curry.

David West (IND) – 19.39 PER

Stats: 16.8ppg,
7.8rpg, 2.8apg, 1.1bpg

Why the hell
would Indiana trade a guy who has stepped up in the absence of Danny Granger by
rediscovering his fine form? Because the Pacers should be building for the
future instead of focusing on the present. Keeping West means Indiana makes the
Playoffs and gets bounced maybe as early as the first round. Dealing him means
Indiana should still make the postseason (thank you, Paul George), and still
get some major pieces that can help once Granger comes back. Why not trade
Danny instead? Because Danny is not 32 years old. West is.

Al Jefferson (UTA) – 20.62 PER

Stats: 17.2ppg,
9.7rpg, 1.1bpg

Al Jefferson
could have been an All-Star with his numbers, but he isn’t. He might stay in
Salt Lake and finish the season as a Jazzman, but I suspect he won’t. He’s
being paid USD 15 million this year, and, just like the Smith thing, it’d be
better for Utah to ship him by February 22 or lose him by season’s end. Some
possibilities? I can actually see him going to Indy in exchange for West, or
maybe, here’s one, shipping Jefferson to Philly for Thaddeus Young and maybe a
couple more pieces. Should be a win-win. So, Utah, let’s do it!

Al Jefferson's contract is expiring, which means -- Off you go!(image by Melissa Majchrzak/Getty Images)

Game
Recaps (courtesy of the Sports Network):

January
27

Boston 100, Miami 98 (2OT)

Boston, MA
(Sports Network) - Despite discovering some troubling news midway through the
contest, the Celtics were able to outlast the Miami Heat in Ray Allen's return
to Boston. Paul Pierce notched a triple-double and put his team ahead for good
with a jumper late in the second overtime period, as the Celtics defeated the
Heat, 100-98, at TD Garden. Mired in a nine-game shooting slump, Pierce broke
out on Sunday with 17 points, 13 rebounds and 10 assists for Boston, which
played without All-Star point guard Rajon Rondo and will do so for an extended
period of time. Rondo, who injured his knee in a double-overtime loss to
Atlanta on Friday, was scratched just prior to start of the contest and was
sent to a local hospital for an MRI, which revealed a torn ACL. A surgery date
has not yet been determined. The Celtics, however, were able to end a
season-long six-game losing streak in receiving 24 points and 11 rebounds from
Kevin Garnett. Jason Terry and Jeff Green added 13 and 11 points, respectively,
off the bench in the victory. LeBron James totaled 34 points, 16 rebounds and
seven assists for the Heat, who had a four-game winning streak snapped. Chris
Bosh followed with 16 points and 16 rebounds, while Dwyane Wade added 17 points
and seven assists in defeat. In his first game back in Boston since leaving the
Celtics this past summer for Miami, Allen received a mixed reaction from the
crowd during a video tribute upon his entrance, but scored 21 points off the
bench on 7-of-17 shooting for the game.

LA Lakers 105, Oklahoma City 96

Los Angeles,
CA (Sports Network) - Perhaps a more generous Kobe Bryant is the answer to the
Lakers' problems. For the second consecutive game, Bryant finished with more
assists than shot attempts and Los Angeles took down the Oklahoma City Thunder,
105-96, at the Staples Center on Sunday. Bryant scored 21 points on 8-of-12
shooting and matched Friday's assist total against Utah with 14 to help the
Lakers to their second consecutive victory. He also tallied nine rebounds. Five
other Lakers scored in double-figures, with Steve Nash scoring 17 and Paul
Gasol pouring in 16 off the bench. Metta World Peace tallied 15 points and 10
rebounds, while Dwight Howard battled foul trouble most of the contest. He
scored eight points and grabbed 10 boards. Kevin Durant scored a game-high 35
points and Russell Westbrook contributed 17 points with 13 assists, as the
Thunder alternated wins and losses in capping a six-game road trip. Serge Ibaka
and Kendrick Perkins each scored 10 in defeat.

New Orleans 91, Memphis 83

Memphis, TN
(Sports Network) - Ryan Anderson knocked down seven 3-pointers en route to a
game-high 22 points off the bench, as the New Orleans Hornets took down the
Memphis Grizzlies, 91-83, on Sunday at FedEx Forum. Jason Smith followed with
16 points and Greivis Vasquez handed out 11 assists to help the Hornets halt a
two-game skid. Zach Randolph and Marc Gasol each recorded a double-double, with
Randolph registering 20 points and 13 rebounds and Gasol adding 14 points and
11 boards for the Grizzlies, who had won two straight and four of their last
five.

Detroit 104, Orlando 102

Orlando, FL
(Sports Network) - Brandon Knight made back-to-back 3-pointers late in the
fourth quarter, helping the Detroit Pistons beat the Orlando Magic, 104-102, on
Sunday. Knight went 12-of-16 from the floor and made five 3-pointers en route
to 31 points for the Pistons, who snapped a two- game skid. Greg Monroe added
17 points, seven rebounds and six assists. J.J. Redick made eight 3-pointers
and ended with 31 points for the Magic, who have lost five in a row and 16 of
their last 18 games. Jameer Nelson and E'Twaun Moore had 18 points apiece. Glen
Davis donated 17 points and 12 rebounds for Orlando, which fell to 8-16 at home
this season. Nikola Vucevic tallied 12 points and 17 boards.

New York 106, Atlanta 104

New York, NY
(Sports Network) - Carmelo Anthony's go-ahead three-point play with 12.5
seconds left capped a 42-point night and lifted the New York Knicks to a
106-104 victory over the Atlanta Hawks. Josh Smith's 3-pointer at the buzzer
from the left wing was off the mark. Anthony nailed a franchise record-tying
nine triples for New York, which shot 59 percent (16-of-27) from beyond the
arc. Anthony's nine treys matched a mark held by John Starks, Latrell Sprewell
-- who did it twice -- and Toney Douglas. Amare Stoudemire and J.R. Smith
poured in 18 points apiece, while Raymond Felton tallied 12 points and 10
assists in the triumph. Jeff Teague netted 27 points, while Smith added 20 for
the Hawks, who had their three-game winning streak snapped.

Dallas 110, Phoenix 95

Dallas, TX
(Sports Network) - Shawn Marion and Dirk Nowitzki scored 18 points apiece to
lead the Dallas Mavericks to a 110-95 win over the Phoenix Suns on Sunday.
Marion also had nine rebounds and five assists in his 1,000th career game.
Vince Carter added 15 points, Elton Brand scored 12 and Dahntay Jones finished
with 11 for the Mavericks, winners in six of their last eight games. Goran
Dragic scored 18 points and dished out eight assists, Luis Scola scored 14
points and P.J. Tucker and Michael Beasley added 12 points apiece for the Suns,
who fell to 4-19 on the road this season.

LA Clippers 96, Portland 83

Los Angeles,
CA (Sports Network) - Blake Griffin had 23 points, nine assists, five rebounds
and two steals, helping the Los Angeles Clippers beat the Portland Trail
Blazers, 96-83. Caron Butler and Eric Bledsoe added 12 and 10 points,
respectively, for the Clippers, who snapped a four-game skid. Los Angeles
played its fourth straight game without All-Star point guard Chris Paul due to
a bruised right kneecap. LaMarcus Aldridge ended with 21 points and 11 rebounds
for the Blazers, who had a brief two-game winning streak snapped. Damian
Lillard and J.J. Hickson tallied 16 and 15 points, respectively.

January
28

Golden State 108, Cleveland 95

Cleveland,
OH (Sports Network) - Klay Thompson had no problem shouldering the scoring load
for Golden State with Stephen Curry out nursing an injured ankle. Making a
career-best six 3-pointers, Thompson set a personal high with 32 points to lead
the Warriors to a 108-95 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers on Tuesday at
Quicken Loans Arena. Thompson hit 13-of-24 shots from the field -- missing just
two from long distance -- as Golden State (28-17) captured its fifth win in
seven contests to notch its best start through 45 games since the 1991-92
season. The Warriors were also without Harrison Barnes (knee), Carl Landry
(shoulder) and Andrew Bogut, who returned to the lineup after a 38-game absence
on Monday, but sat to rest his surgically repaired ankle on the second night of
a back-to-back. Jarrett Jack added 26 points to go with 12 assists and David
Lee tallied 20 points, 13 rebounds and eight assists in the victory. Kyrie
Irving came into the contest scorching hot, but scored just 14 points on
5-of-17 shooting for Cleveland, which saw its three-game winning streak come to
an end. He had scored at least 30 in each of his past three games. Tristan
Thompson totaled 18 points and 11 rebounds, while Dion Waiters and Tyler Zeller
finished with 18 and 16 points, respectively, in the setback.

Milwaukee 117, Detroit 90

Auburn
Hills, MI (Sports Network) - Brandon Jennings tallied 20 of his 30 points in
the third quarter as the Milwaukee Bucks downed the Detroit Pistons, 117-90, on
Tuesday. The Pistons had a 28-19 advantage after a quarter of play, but the
Bucks outscored Detroit 72-40 over the next two periods to turn the game into a
rout. Mike Dunleavy added 17 points off the bench for Milwaukee, which has won
five of its last six games. Andre Drummond tallied 18 points and a career-high
18 rebounds for the Pistons, who have dropped three of their last four
contests.

Portland 106, Dallas 104

Portland, OR
(Sports Network) - LaMarcus Aldridge poured in a game-tying 3- pointer late and
then delivered the deciding bucket as time expired to send the Portland Trail
Blazers to a 106-104 victory over the Dallas Mavericks. The Trail Blazers
rallied from a 21-point third quarter deficit before Aldridge stepped back in
the corner to drain his first 3-pointer of the season and tie the game at
104-104 with 4.5 seconds left. After O.J. Mayo was called for an offensive foul
at the other end, Aldridge caught the inbounds pass and swished a fadeaway
jumper as the buzzer sounded to give Portland to its third victory in four
games. With his 11th double-double in the month of January, Aldridge totaled 29
points and 13 rebounds. Dirk Nowitzki knocked down a triple prior to Aldridge's
3-point make to give Dallas the lead with 11.4 seconds remaining. He finished
with 26 points on 11-of-21 shooting for Dallas, which had won six of eight
games coming in.

LA Lakers 111, New Orleans 106

Los Angeles,
CA (Sports Network) - Ball facilitator may not have been a term used to
describe Kobe Bryant in the past, but if his last three games are any
indication, the future Hall of Famer is willing to take on that role for the
team's success. For the third straight game, Bryant finished with double- digit
assists, and for the third game in a row the Lakers have ended up in the win
column, including a 111-106 triumph on Tuesday. Bryant, who had registered 14
assists in each of his last two games, finished with 11 helpers and also scored
14 points and pulled down eight rebounds. Dwight Howard scored 24 points and
Earl Clark added 20 points and 12 boards for the Lakers, who have strung
together three straight wins for the third time this season. Antawn Jamison and
Steve Nash finished with 16 and 12 points, respectively, in the victory. Eric
Gordon poured in 25 points and Greivis Vasquez scored 15 points and dished out
15 assists for the Hornets, who have dropped three of their last four games
overall.